Sony CDX-GT21W Review

I had an older Aiwa car stereo in my little pickup truck and it was starting to drive me nuts with all the skipping during CD playback. I replaced it with a Sony CDX-GT21W, which is a model number exclusive to Wal-Mart. The CDX-GT21W is identical to the Sony CDX-GT210 sold by other stores, except that the model number labeling is different.

What It Is

The Sony CDX-GT21W is a fairly basic car stereo with a built-in CD player, AM/FM radio and a front-panel aux input jack. It has a detachable faceplate and a reasonable number of controls that are arrayed on the left side, closest to the driver. It has a rotary volume control, which is my preference for car stereos. The CDX-GT21W can play standard CDs, as well as disks with MP3 and WMA files.  

The box includes a wiring harness and a dash-mounting sleeve for the stereo. One reason why I wanted to get another Sony car stereo was because I knew that my existing Aiwa car stereo's wiring harness is completely compatible with Sony. I could simply remove the Aiwa and plug in the Sony. Sweet, huh?  Also included in the box is a user's manual and an installation guide. You'll need the user's manual to set the clock and other housekeeping functions.

I paid $120 for the Sony CDX-GT21W at Wal-Mart.

Using It

The CDX-GT21W requires that you press the "Source" button before you can listen to anything. That's right... if you were listening to a CD and shut the unit off, you must turn it on and press the "Source" button to resume listening to the CD. I also have to hold the on/off button in for several seconds before the unit will turn on, and must repeat that for an even longer time to turn the unit off. I can see holding the button for a second or two, but several seconds is just annoying.

The CDX-GT21W has standard bass and treble EQ settings, as well as a useful "loudness" setting that is good for music, especially at low levels. However, it's not all that easy to get at and it actually reduces the intelligibility of voices on a newsradio station or a recorded book. (I'm a big recorded book listener.)

On a final ergonomic note, many of the CDX-GT21W's settings are accessed through the volume control. By pressing the knob in, you can step through the unit's various settings. I have no problem with this but my wife has yet to master it.  

On the positive side, the CDX-GT21W has excellent sound quality. CDs are clean and bright, and MP3s sound just as good. Stepping among tracks on an MP3 disk is fast and the display scrolls the song title. The sound quality of the front-panel aux jack is excellent. I frequently use it with a small audio cassette player, for the playback of recorded books.  I listen to the radio a fair amount and the FM reception quality of the CDX-GT21W is average.

As for skipping CDs, there are none. My little pickup truck has a firm ride and I have deliberately tried to make the CDX-GT21W skip. I couldn't get it to skip with either a CD or MP3 disk.

Summary

The Sony CDX-GT21W has great sound, superb skip resistance and acceptable FM reception. It has the makings of a terrific value in a car stereo. However, its quirky ergonomics are annoying, making the unit a mixed bag. I will keep this Sony stereo but that doesn't mean I have to think it's terrific. If you're willing to trade quirky controls for good sound at a low price, the Sony CDX-GT21W is a car stereo you can consider.